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FSA denies chemical weapons claims

The head of the Free Syrian Army denied reports last week that the Syrian opposition possesses chemical weapons and plans to use them as retaliation against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Selim Idris, a former officer from the Syrian regime who defected, said that the news reports that the opposition has chemical weapons are false. Idris said that the use of chemical weapons is banned under international law and the opposition stands by those laws, World Bulletin reports.

"While I'm hoping that Assad's army members defect, how can I use non-existent chemical weapons against them?" Idris said, according to World Bulletin. "We will not try to acquire them, will definitely not produce them or facilitate their production."

Bassam al-Dada, the political advisor of the FDA, previously claimed that the Syrian opposition is able to put together chemical weapons components and use them if necessary. He said that the opposition would only use chemical weapons if the regime of Bashar al-Assad uses them first.

"If we ever use them (chemical weapons), we will only hit the regime's bases and centers," Dada said, theHindu.com reports.

In December, Bashar Ja'afari, Syria's U.N. ambassador, said that extremist groups could use chemical weapons against Syrian civilians and lay the blame on the government.

U.S. President Barack Obama said that if Syria's regime uses chemical weapons against opposition fighters, it would serve as crossing a red line and could lead to military intervention, World Bulletin reports.